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JANUARY RECAP // ya contemporary reads, rare book shopping, all the films & life updates
Only a TEENSY bit late this time. Just a smol week. Not helpful crying over spilt milk folks, let’s just get right into it!!! One of Us Is Back by Karen M. McManus {★★★★☆}: gosh I love me a McManus book because I just KNOW I’ll have a great time. It’s a guarantee at this point. This was no exception. Didn’t beat book two for me but it was still a blast and I highly enjoyed my time with her. Still deciding if I’m doing a full review for this one, so I’ll send you over to GR for now!!! Ty to Penguin Random House SA for the review copy! When You Get The Chance by Emma Lord {★★★★★}: finally got off my lazy ass and have mostly caught up with my fave Lord and saviour *sighs* I have a whole review coming very soon so stay tuned for that but yes I am incredibly stupid for doubting this author AGAIN GAHHHH. This book was literally everything and I’m so excited to yell about it. Big thanks to Pan Macmillan SA for the review copy and Wednesday Books for the eARC via Netgalley! Click here for the GR review xoxox…
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DECEMBER 2023 RECAP // wrapping up the last reading month of the year ft all the romance, austen addiction, great films & job searching
Once more I am fashionably late but you all know the drill at this point. Let’s jump right in! — Betting On You by Lynn Painter {★★★★☆}: when she said When Harry Met Sally inspired YA rom-com, suddenly I appeared. Out of nowhere. Can’t explain it. But living my best life and she was cute as heck. Now I just need to catch up on Painter’s previous YA release so I can come out of shameville. Tysm to Simon & Schuster for the eARC via Netgalley. More thoughts in my GR review here <3<3<3 If I Never Met You by Mhairi McFarlane {★★★★☆}: Finally got back into my McFarlane groove and she truly is a genius!!! And men suck hardcore. Whilst this one does not top Mad About You for me, I loved it nonetheless. I related so deeply to Laurie’s insecurities and adored her as a main character. I do think I wanted a bit more from the romance? Read more in GR review here xoxoxo Persepolis Volume 2 by Marjane Satrapi {★★★★★}: Finally finished this one after having to put it down for thesis writing. Ugh Satrapi is a GENIUS and I have so much appreciation for her.…
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MAY RECAP // a lot of essay writing, cute new books & some romance to relieve the stress
Who doesn’t love when Ruby only does recaps? Definitely not you, because you love me no matter what I do right? I’m full of myself I know. Please just ignore me. Let’s get into this already ; ) — Sabrina September Is A Liar by Nikki Lincoln {★★★★☆}: never going to get over how stunning this cover is and you all so need to read this absolutely fabulous debut romance! I was SHOCKED it was a debut because the writing is blow-you-socks-off good and I’m so excited to see Nikki flourish. Tysm for gifting me with an ARC and a finished copy!!! Click here for the GR review xoxo! Meet Me At The Lake by Carley Fortune {★★★★☆}: Another stunner of a cover, gosh these pinks are getting to me, man. This was an excellent follow-up to Every Summer After, which I really liked last year. She almost had the potential to get a higher rating but something was holding me back. But I loved the characters, and the writing was wonderful and I literally want to go to Canada rn. Love that for me. I’m truly going haha. Click here for more thoughts With Love, From Cold World by…
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APRIL RECAP // i am in my british comedy era, finally read a jane austen & sinking down the academic research rabbit hole aka life is great
Currently, my brain capacity is at 0.1 but that is not necessarily a bad thing. It just means I have a lot to say and no way to articulate it so this recap should be fun. If there’s one thing Ruby Rae Reads will always deliver, it is chaos and you can at least count on that. Let’s try and remember what happened this month before May is over *insert happy dance* Don’t You Forget About Me by Mhairi McFarlane {★★★★½}: Don’t remember what finally gave me the push to read this author, maybe fate because I just KNEW I would love her and Ms McFarlane and I are now best friends. She doesn’t know that yet but it’s the truth. Maybe you’ll get a full review soon because I have a lot to say, but this was like watching a British comedy in book form and no-one does comedy like the British. The writing was whip-smart, the characters loveable and it’s just everything I want in an adult contemporary technically women’s fiction, but agh that term sucks. It was absolutely brilliant READ IT RIGHT NOW!!!!!! GR review here Mad About You by Mhairi McFarlane {★★★★★}: I couldn’t tell you…
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DECEMBER RECAP // great reads, avatar, christmas movies, beach vacation and stunning special edition books!!!
Didn’t expect to see me back so soon? I mean same. But I didn’t want to combine December and January which I have ~definitely~ not done before…. Haha nervous laughter. Anyways, we have stuff to catch up on so let’s get into it! Two Wrongs Make A Right by Chloe Liese {★★★★★}: ugh shame on me for taking so long to start this because it was so good I could cry. I knew she would hit and ugh she so did. Chloe Liese has magic beneath her fingertips and you all need to read this book RIGHT NOW!!! I said it all in my blog tour review so I’m sending you over there but I HIGHLY recommend. Big thanks to Berkley for having me on board and for the eARC via Netgalley <3<3<3 Percy Jackson and The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan & Robert Venditti {★★★☆☆}: all I can say is that I’m on a graphic novel kick, my Library had this available and I read it. Stupid me should not have expected an illustrated edition when that exists separately but because of that stupidity I went in expecting PJO in pictures. Which this is sorta but it lacked the…
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NOVEMBER RECAP // i turned 21 ft new fave series, graphic novel mania, new books and life is good again!!!
It’s me hi I’m actually not the problem today. BECAUSE I AM SO EARLY WOWZA!!!! Like my Taylor Swift reference? I’m just talking nonsense so let’s get into it!!!! — Heart of Iron by Ashley Poston {★★★★½}: Me? Actually reading a book that’s been on my tbr longer than I’ve had a TikTok account? A Christmas miracle. I’ve talked to death about how much fun I had with this series and I’m a pro blogger so I’m just sending you right over to the series review on the blog here <3<3<3 Soul of Stars by Ashley Poston {★★★★½}: My marketing skills are on fire if you ask me. Fab fab fab Anastasia in space duology to binge with just my typa romance, fast plot and glorious writing READ THEM NOWWW!!!! Series review here in case you didn’t click *wink wink* The Tea Dragon Society by Kay O’Neill {★★★★☆}: I have a free trial on Kindle Unlimited alright. I was in Poston withdrawals and decided to read these on my iPad. And UGH how cute, just as expected. This first instalment is probably my least favourite of the three, in terms of enjoyment. But the art is amazing and such a…
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JUNE RECAP // some stunning reads and that’s about it because i’m on vacation
Making baby steps and improving by a couple months with this recap. Let’s not talk about the last time, it’s too sad. In reality not much happened last month, though in my head it feels like a lot, which is a werid conundrum and I’m talking rubbish, so let’s just jump right in xoxo — — Tash Hearts Tolstoy by Kathryn Ormsbee {★★★★★}: Thank the high heavens that I FINALLY READ THIS DANG BOOK!!!! Took me about a bajillion years. I have been excited about this book for the longest time and eeeep am I glad it lived up to my high expectations. I’m in my YA era and I LOVE IT. You also just need this book about internet culture and fame and film production and discussions on asexuality. Plus stunning friend groups and funny dialogue IT HAS EVERYTHING. I was just so touched by this book and agh you all need to bump up the tbr if you haven’t read yet. GR review here – Book Lovers by Emily Henry {★★★★★}: Took me far too long to pluck up the courage to read this but in my defence, I was avoiding pain. And for good reason. But don’t…
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HAPPY NEW YEAR AKA MY DECEMBER 2021 & JANUARY 2022 RECAP // a slightly late recap but I watched a ton of movies and read only a bit oops
Um yeah so big oops. In my head, it’s definitely not nearly the end of February when I finally post this. You can pretend with me. Combining into two months because I’m terrible and I also only read one book in January welp. You came for chaos right? I have warned you in the past,,, Let’s not waste time and just get into it! — Wait For It by Mariana Zapata {★★★★☆}: Extremely chuffed at the progress I’m making in my quest to read all of Mariana Zapata’s work. Apparently this one was my longest read of last year, which I did not notice so props to MZ for making me think her romances are short. HAVE I MENTIONED HOW MUCH I LOVE HER??? The way MZ writes romance is unlike any other and I’m constantly comparing other romances to her’s. I just,,, I’m forever sad about it. Though nothing has been able to top Lukov for me, this story was so endearing and heartwarming and I loved every page. Trigger warnings for loss of a parent/sibling. I absolutely loved how this book focused on parenting and raising kids, not in the traditional way. I loved Diana when we met…
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NOVEMBER RECAP // I turned 20, listened to red tv, watched 2 new fave movies & read 4 books
Manifesting that Ruby makes time for posts other than recaps and miscellaneous reviews. Honestly slapping myself across the face for it. It’s terrible. I have time but I don’t have it in me to do any of the 100 end of year posts I am usually doing this time of the year,,, Praying that a productivity wave hits me at some point in the near future. Big yikes. I’ll stop talking now though so we can get on with what happened in November. — Sick Kids in Love by Hannah Moskowitz {★★★★☆}: Welp it’s been a second since I read this one as I finished it on the very first day of last month. But it’d been on my tbr for a while and I’m so glad I finally got around to it. As expected, this book was an absolute delight and brilliant YA contemporary romance. I AM OVERWHELMED WITH CUTENESS THIS BOOK IS ADORABLE *INSERT KEYBOARD SMASH* Can you tell I thought this was cute? Because I really did. This book deals heavily with chronic illness and teens dealing with chronic illness. Our main character has rheumatoid arthritis and love interest has Gaucher disease. And they meet and fall…
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OCTOBER RECAP // essay mania but at least I discovered some new all time fave books and movies
I AM FREE FROM THE SHACKLES OF ESSAYS AND IT FEELS SO GOOOODDDDD Ugh anyways I did disappear again, so this post is late (as usual) but hey least all of my reads last month were 5 stars *wink wink* Let us just get into it! — The Love That Split The World by Emily Henry {★★★★★}: I declared October Emily Henry month and I’m not mad about it. I finally recovered from my adult romance bender and fell into the beautiful and graceful arms of Emily Henry, who I *was* so behind on but as you can tell, I’ve caught up. Anyways, I did start this at a time where I was focused on essays so I read it over quite some time but nonetheless it was brilliant and seriously EH’s debut? Shooketh. I’ve said this approx 123456789 times but she could write a shopping list and I’d still be mesmerised. This book broke my brain but I absolutely adored it. I read it at just the right time and wow I so connected to Natalie on a level I didn’t think I ever would. It’s been a second since I read a book where I saw myself in…
